Luka Modric's Thoughts on Rafael Leao's Future at Milan

Luka Modric has stepped into the Rafael Leao debate with the calm authority of someone who has seen every side of elite football — and has no interest in playing agent.

The Croatian midfielder, now a senior voice in a Milan dressing room braced for a pivotal summer, offered a clear message: Leao’s future is Leao’s decision, but there is no doubt where Modric would like to see him play next season.

“I don’t want to give him advice,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Rafa is mature enough to know what’s best for him. He knows how much the fans and the club love him. He’s a great player and it’s great to have him here. He just has to work hard and give his best for Milan, as he always has done.”

No lecture. No public pressure. Just admiration, and a gentle reminder of the bond between player, club and curva.

Leao has been at the heart of the Rossoneri attack for seven years, a symbol of the club’s new era and one of the few wide forwards in Europe capable of deciding a game in a single surge. At the end of the 2025-26 season, though, he made it clear he was ready to “test himself in a different environment”, opening the door to a summer of speculation and hard questions at San Siro.

Modric didn’t gloss over the reality of Leao’s recent campaign. The winger’s year was patchy, broken up by physical problems that stripped away rhythm and sharpness.

“Maybe he’s not coming off the best season, he had a couple of injuries and wasn’t feeling at his best physically, but he’s still a great footballer,” Modric said. Then came the point that will echo around Milanello. “In my opinion, if he were to stay, it would be fantastic for all of us because he’s one of the best in the world when he’s at his peak.”

That “if” hangs over Milan’s summer.

This is a club preparing for a season without Champions League football, without the financial cushion and spotlight that come with it. In that context, the prospect of keeping a fully fit, fully focused Leao becomes more than just a tactical luxury. It is a statement of ambition. It is a decision that could shape the trajectory of the next cycle.

Modric knows it. So does Ruben Amorim.

The head coach has been forced to confront the issue head-on during Milan’s pre-season tour in Australia. Rumours have swirled since the end of last season that Leao was eyeing a fresh challenge, but inside the camp the tone has softened. Publicly, Amorim has insisted that the Portuguese forward is locked in.

“All the players are working really well: both those who started from day one and those who arrived later. Rafa is lucky to be at a club like Milan, so he should be happy. I feel he’s happy and motivated,” Amorim said.

Happy. Motivated. Two words that will reassure Milan supporters, but not end the conversation.

The market doesn’t care about sentiment. Leao’s contract, his ambitions, Milan’s need to balance the books without Champions League revenue — all of it feeds into a delicate equation. Modric didn’t pretend otherwise. He acknowledged the business side of the sport, even as he drew a clear line between the boardroom and the dressing room.

“As I said, he and the club will decide what the best solution will be, but as a footballer, of course I want Rafa in my team,” he concluded.

There it is: the player’s view, stripped back. Directors can talk valuations and clauses. Agents can test the waters. Modric, like every teammate who has watched Leao in full flight, just wants the No. 10 on his side when the season starts and Milan attempt to rebuild their European credentials from the ground up.